Former MLB President Bob DuPuy Rejoining Foley & Lardner Law Firm

Former MLB President & COO BOB DUPUY is rejoining his former law firm, Foley & Lardner, serving as partner with its sports industry practice in N.Y. DuPuy is also joining Evolution Media Capital, CAA's investment banking affiliate, as a senior advisor working on "opportunities across the sports and media spectrum, particularly in the areas of content rights and mergers and acquisitions," according to a company announcement. DuPuy formerly was a partner with Foley & Lardner, serving as MLB's outside legal counsel beginning in '89 before joining the league in '98. DuPuy was promoted to President & COO with the league in '02, but resigned last fall amid a falling out with Commissioner BUD SELIG. In addition to his new professional duties, DuPuy is teaching as an adjunct professor at Cornell Univ. Law School, his alma mater. "Given my experience and the continued growth of Foley's New York office, this all made a lot of sense," DuPuy said last night. "And I'm looking forward to using my experience to help both the firm and EMC. Going back to Foley was always part of the plan. And EMC started out as a separate process -- they approached me right after I made my [resignation] announcement last fall. So it was about making sure that each place was comfortable with the other. ... I'll give each as much as time as necessary to accomplish our various goals."

STILL PART OF A'S TASK FORCE: DuPuy remains part of the Selig-appointed task force studying the A's ballpark situation in the Bay Area. Foley & Lardner also still provide outside legal counsel to MLB and MLBAM. But DuPuy said his personal, direct connection to the league, for now, will be mainly through the A's task force, and his work for the law firm will be primarily representing individual teams and ownership groups. He declined to outline his split with Selig and MLB in any detail. "It was time. When I first went to the league, I thought it might be for three to five years," DuPuy said. "I'm very proud of what we accomplished during my time there. But it was time to get this done." EMC, formed three years ago in a partnership between Merrill Lynch and CAA, has been involved in more than $2B worth of sports and media transactions in some fashion. Among its recent transactions has been to represent the CHUCK GREENBERG/NOLAN RYAN-led group as financial advisors in its purchase of the MLB Rangers and subsequent extension of the team's TV rights deal with FS Southwest. EMC's senior executive ranks also include principal and noted stadium finance expert MITCHELL ZIETS. EMC co-head BOB STANLEY in a statement said of DuPuy, "His track record speaks for itself and his expertise across every facet of the sports business is unsurpassed."